Thursday, December 29, 2016

What's In Store For Twenty-Seventeen?

I feel like it was a year ago, that I was writing down my 2016 resolutions...

Is it just me, or does time really fly by when your old..er?

Anyway! I'm very excited for the new year. Lot's of amazing things in store, and not just for the blog. In general.

How was everyone's Christmas? I really, really enjoyed my break. I made it a real point to shut off & relax. To be honest, it's very hard for me to actually shut off. When I'm just sitting on my couch, literally sipping on tea, or maybe wine, and indulging in mindless TV, I sometimes feel a bit unproductive. Like I could just grab my laptop, and start a new post, or edit some photos, or do something! But I think in order to get creative again, one must shut off. Right? What are your thoughts on this?

Okay, let's talk 2017...

But before we do so, let's be clear that I'm not at all about the whole 'new year, new me' bullsh*t...

I think that you can change at ANYTIME. It doesn't have to be January 1st to make changes in your life. If you feel like Jan 11th, or 12th or whatever date is a good time, you go for it.

I think that a new year, is a good place to start. Because it's easy to pick the first date of the year. But, it doesn't mean other dates don't matter.

The new year is a fresh start. A clean slate. You want to change something? Break a shitty habit? Take on something new? Start a new project? Set some goals. Don't just say you'll do it. Actually DO IT.

Here's a few things that have been on my mind for Twenty-Seventeen:

♡ SMILE MORE

YES. Smile when you walk passed a stranger. You can actually make a difference. That stranger may be going through a tough day, and your little smile can make it somewhat better for them. Smile when you answer the phone. Trust me, the person on the other end can hear it. Smiles cost you NOTHING. So, why not do it more? I mean, in the mornings, before coffee, 7:30am, when that coworker won't shut up, I get it. You want to put a bag over them and tell them to shove it. TRY and smile instead. I'm working on this one too, don't worry.

♡ UNFOLLOW NEGATIVE PEOPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

You know those people that only post negative status' on Facebook? They need to be gone. OFF your social media. I don't have time for negative people. Negative people find a problem for every solution. In 2017, we're smiling a lot more. So, those negative people have got to go. Cause really, they're killing my buzz. The more you see that, the more it will sink into you. And we don't want that. Get rid of it.

♡ MAKE SOME CHANGES

It's always nice to make changes in the new year. Think about what worked and what didn't. It could be business related or life related. I like to think back on the year, and really reflect on my life, work, the blog, the people I associate with. It seems the older I get, the more I only want to see people who I truly value and love. Life is short, and I don't intend on spending it with people who aren't real. It may seem that the older I get, the smaller my group of friends get. And I'm totally okay with that.

LIFE IS FUCKING SHORT. Don't spent a moment with someone you don't want to. Time is precious. Don't, don't waste it.

Anyway. Change. If there's something that you didn't like in 2016, change it. Remember, January 1st, 2017 doesn't have to be the day it ALL changes. Go at your own pace. Write it down. Trust me, it helps. Call me old-fashioned, but I write everything down.

♡ SHOW MORE GRATITUDE.

Be thankful.

For everything. Even the smallest things. My faith is important to me, and I make it a point to say 'thank you' out loud. We go through life not even realizing sometimes, how lucky we are. No, not lucky. Blessed. If there's a roof over your head, food on your table, and air in your lungs, you're pretty damn blessed, if you ask me. Anything else is a bonus in life. No? Where I come from, many people don't have any of those things.

Also, if there are special people in your life, don't forget to show them gratitude as well. Again, we may take even the smallest gestures for granted. Take a moment to appreciate the little things. Life will instantly seem brighter.

♡ CHALLENGE YOURSELF

Get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. This is something I need to do more of. 2017 will be all about challenging myself (I hope). Don't worry, I'm not starting this on January 1st, 2017. LOL. I'll take my time on this. Your growth is determined by how much time you spend outside your comfort zone. What are your thoughts on this? It's hard being outside of it, I get it. But you will never know how good you are at something, if you don't give it a chance? Shit, I may even hit up the slopes this winter. (Probably not, but who knows?) I'll keep you guys posted.

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Okay, so that's my thoughts on 2016/17. What advice do you guys have?

Does anyone make New Year's resolutions anymore? Weigh in. I'd love to know.

I hope you guys have a FABULOUS New Year's!! See you in 2017!

Side note: Can we talk about how cute my phone & custom laptop skins are?! Obviously I'm a TOTAL sucker for marble anything, so naturally when I saw these, I had to have them. And had to have them match. Duh. Get them here & here. And for a limited time, get 20% off as well! Just use my code: CONFIDENTIAL20.

Xx, kim

Photography by Victoria Jmourko

This post was in collaboration with CaseApp. As always, all opinions are my own.